- It’s very nice that your family is supporting two other families...but colleges will view that as a choice. You won’t get additional need based aid for making this choice.
- It’s also a choice to send a student to a private high school. Again...you very likely won’t get additional need based aid because of this choice.
- The real estate is your family’s. Can they borrow using this property as collateral? Schools are very unlikely to give you need based aid to help your family maintain ownership of a significant asset they can cash in at some point. The equity is an asset.
Does your family live in this home?
You would need to apply, and get accepted, and request a special circumstances consideration in terms of the above. But really…don’t hold your breath. Your family has the resources to fund two additional families, and pay private school tuition for your sibling. They have a real estate property with some value. All of these choices in terms of spending could be used to pay for your college. Even the house…because you could wait five years to attend college.
What colleges are you considering?
What is your SAT or ACT score…and GPA?
How much can your parents pay annually?
What is their annual income because all of this fretting might not matter at all if it exceeds a certain amount?
And lastly…remember that some colleges have very limited financial aid of any kind for international students.